The Best Way to Reach Latam Audiences

Brands realize that digital advertising is the key to reaching the Latin American consumer.

“If you have ever been stuck in Mexico City traffic where you see the same billboard for 30 minutes straight (since your car hasn’t moved), you would understand why it is our main advertising tool”, is actually what a Marketing Director told me in a meeting. Yet as much as that statement is truthful given the state of automobile traffic in many Latin American cities, the amount of web traffic flowing through laptops, mobile telephones, and tablets is much greater, and as it turns out per a recent eMarketer survey,it’s the leading source for consumers to get information about new products.

Quick hit from the study: 72% of Mexican respondents found out about new brands and products online.

Ways that Internet Users in Select Countries in Latin America Find Out About New Brands and Products, March 2013
% of respondents

Looking at the response rates and engagement for digital ads in Latin America confirms the growth and importance of digital as the medium of choice to engage audiences in the region. For example, 50% or more of those surveyed in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina have watched commercials for products or services online in the previous month. And over 20% in Mexico and Brazil clicked on a banner.

After reading the study and discussing with the campaigns that our company runs for clients run on Latin American traffic, we definitely see increased engagement on the Latin American traffic for our major brand clients that run in both the US and Latin American. While obviously there are many factors, the fact remains that digital advertising is a key to reaching the Latin American markets.

According to eMarketer, digital ad spending in Latin America in 2013 is expected to rise 31.5% to reach $4 billion. Based on consumer engagement studies, this seems to be a good use of advertising dollars.